May 20, 2011 - Middleburg Heights, OH 

After years of dreaming, and with the help of many generous contributors, the Expressive Art Therapy Center has opened at Akron Childrens Hospital.  Music, art, poetry and dance have been used by the hospital for years as a way to help children and their families cope with illness and express their feelings.  This center expands on this healing concept, providing musical instruments, art supplies, a performance stage and even a recording studio for the patients to use.   

Clay Matthews, Gary Matthews and Michael Pope reviewing the camera control

Michael Pope, President of Audio Video Interiors, had been working with the hospital for several years on a similar project to provide an audio video experience for the children.  With an inspired idea of Dr. Sarah Friebert, the vision and scope of the original project grew and Pope explains,"When we learned of the Expressive Arts Therapy project and how the children could benefit from an interactive system that included a recording studio, projection system, and performing stage, we immediately decided to merge our talents with the architects and creative hospital staff to help make this incredible, healing room a reality."  Gary Matthews, CTS, Director of Business Deveolpment, designed the AV system with scalability and ease-of-use in mind, allowing for the system to grow as needed while being simple to operate.  The system allows the children to perform karaoke-style while being filmed using a professionl-grade pan/tilt/zoom camera controlled much like a video game via a joystick.  He was able to achieve his design goals with the generous support from manufacturers including NEC, Crestron and Ashly, each providing donated or deeply discounted products.  The system is completely automated and provides assisted listening, making it wheelchair & hospital bed accessible, as well as being available to the hearing-impaired.  Clay Matthews, CTS, served as the Programmer and Lead Technician on the installation.  Clay programmed camera pre-sets and simple function buttons, making the hi-performance system user-friendly. 

Dr. Sarah Friebert

Opening Ceremony Recognizes the Contributors 

 A Reception was held on Wednesday Evening to recognize the project's contributors.  Dr. Sarah Friebert, Director of Pediatric Palliative Care and the driving force behind the therapeutic center, was presented with a "Create, Heal, Inspire" neon sign, a replica of the one hanging over the center's entrance.  "There are as many ways to handle difficult situations as there are people facing them," says Dr. Friebert.  "Coping skills-both for physical pain and emotional trauma-are enhanced when children can tap into something meaningful to them instead of trying to communicate only in ways that adults will understand.'' 

The evening included a performance of music and dance, in celebration of the opening, along with a history of the center's inspiration and gratitude towards the foundations and individuals that made the center possible.

Highlights of the AV System 

Stage Area featuring NEC, DaLite, Renkus-Heinz, Shure